Childcare and Warfare (Tales of an Irate Father of Twelve)
by King of Plot Bunnies
Summary: When they set up camp in the Carrion Isles, Robin had never expected to find himself confronted with a band of people from the future, let alone the future-children of his close friends. Oh, and there was one other problem as well. They were his, too. ALL of them. "Naga, help me." Naga, help us all. Robin x Gen 1 Women. ChromxMaiden. Superdaddy!Robin
1. Chapter 1

The name 'Robin of Ylisse' was one that was renown throughout the land. He was the genius tactician who had came out of nowhere and led the mighty Shepherds to victory against the armies of Plegia — all without a single casualty under his command. He was a peerless leader and a loyal friend to all. One would think that such a person would have been prepared for practically anything. But never in a million years did Robin of Ylisse ever think he would find himself in a situation such as _this_.

The atmosphere that permeated the air of the command tent was absolutely stifling as the white-haired man gazed at the faces surrounding him. Some faces he recognized quite well, while others were completely foreign to him. On some of these faces were looks of glee while on others there were deep-set scowls.

"Well now, Robin…" The look Sully gave him was absolutely terrifying. "Care to explain?"

"I'd like an explanation as well," Cordelia spoke up. She refused to make eye contact with him however, her face glowing even brighter than her hair.

"_Hehehehe_…" Tharja quietly giggled to herself. "I did it. We'll be together forever; even if there will be... others..."

Robin shuddered slightly before glancing at Miriel, Panne and Nowi, all looking significantly more composed than the other three or even _happy _in the manakete's case.

Completely unprepared for such a situation, he sent a pleading look to Chrom, but the prince merely turned away from him, his entire body shaking with barely suppressed laughter. Beside him, Lissa was no better, simply throwing him a cheeky grin. And standing off to the side, the ever-vigilant Frederick was staring at him with a glare that clearly read 'What mess have you gotten into now?'

'_Damn it all!_' the tactician thought furiously as he glanced at the seven unknown individuals also present in the tent. '_How did this even happen?!_'

* * *

It had all started after the ambush at Carrion Isle. Chrom had been attacked by a Risen assassin, only for the mysterious Marth to come charging in to save him at the last second. And although her sudden presence had been very fortunate, there had been just one, tiny problem with the situation.

"That… That's the brand of the Exalt…" Chrom murmured as he stared into the eyes of the girl before him. "But… that means you're…"

Slowly, his eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Lucina…" he breathed. The man's gaze drifted down to the sword at her hip and he smiled ruefully. "You… You deserved better from me than one sword and a world of troubles. I'm sorry."

The girl clenched her eyes shut as tears began streaming down her face. "Oh… Father…!"

"It's alright," Chrom whispered, brushing her tears away. "I'm here."

"Father!" Lucina cried out, throwing her arms around him, sobbing into his chest as he quietly patted her hair.

From the edge of the clearing, Robin watched this with a single eyebrow raised. He'd hung back out of respect for their privacy and hadn't heard the conversation but he certainly hadn't been expecting _this_ to happen. The tactician frowned deeply at his lord.

'_Chrom should know better than this_.' He thought with a disappointed sigh. '_He's got a wife and child waiting back in Ylisstol. He should at least try and be more discrete. Her Highness will be furious if she catches wind of this.'_

Scowling slightly, Robin opened his mouth to make his presence known and give the prince a stern talking to.

"Oh, _hell _no!" The white-haired man blinked. Had his voice always been that feminine? "_You_ were the one that said not to interfere in the first place and now you're crying in your old man's arms?!"

Ah, that hadn't been him, then. Robin took a moment to let out a relieved sigh before immediately frowning. If it hadn't been him who'd spoken, then who had?

"S-Severa, wait!" Lucina exclaimed. She quickly broke away from her father as a twin-tailed, white-haired girl came stomping out from the tree line. "I'm sorry, I—"

"Sorry doesn't fix everything!" The other girl snapped. "Do you have any idea how much I've wanted to reveal myself to my father? For two years, I restrained myself to follow your orders, but then you go breaking your own rule at the first chance you get?!"

"This is hardly fair, Luce." A heavily armored girl strode out after her. Like the twin-tailed girl, her hair was the color of snow. Her armored form clanked about noisily as she came to a stop and scowled at the princess.

"I'm afraid I must concur with my siblings on this matter, Lucina," a tall, white-haired boy wearing a mage's hat said as he too stepped out from the shadows. "It is most indecorous for the Exalt to be disregarding her own mandates."

"Kjelle, Laurent, please—"

"W-What they said!" A short, but well-endowed girl squeaked from behind the tall boy and like the others, she also had snow-white hair. Suddenly, however, her face contorted into an enraged snarl. "_**BLOOD AND THUNDER!**_ You would dare betray us like this?!"

"Lucina…" Chrom murmured, an unnerved expression making its way onto his face as several other figures slowly stepped out from the tree line. His hand reflexively sought Falchion's hilt. "What's going on here? Who are these people?"

"Please, there's no need for alarm," Lucina sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "They are my comrades. I never got the chance the opportunity to _explain_ this_—_" She sent a dark glare at Severa, who just huffed and turned away from her. "But—"

Suddenly, one of the unknown individuals stiffened, their back ramrod straight. The person's hooded coat made it difficult to discern their features, but Robin could tell that they were staring straight at him. Without warning, the unknown person dashed towards him at an alarming pace.

"Wait, don't!" Lucina cried out, reaching out in vain to stop the person.

Immediately reaching for his thunder tome, Robin, opened his mouth to shout an incantation, only to freeze up as the unknown individual screamed out the _last _thing he'd been expecting to hear.

"Father!" A feminine voice exclaimed as the hooded person tackled him to the ground. "It's really you! _Haha!_ To be honest, I didn't really believe the others when they said we'd find you eventually, but here you are!"

"F-Father…?" the man asked in a wheezy voice, staring at her in confusion.

"It's me!" The girl removed her hood, revealing snow-white hair the exact same shade as his. A pair of matching amber eyes glinted in happiness as the girl grinned at him. "Morgan? Love of your life? Daddy's little girl?"

"_Father…?_" Robin repeated incredulously.

Lucina just released a weary sigh, rubbing her temples. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement, prompting her to glare at her longtime friend. "Severa, don't you dare—"

"Daddy!" the girl cried, dashing over and glomping them both to the ground once more. "_Sniff! Sniff! _Y-You have no idea how much I've missed you!"

"_**BLOOD AND THUNDER!**_ STOP HOGGING HIM!"

"Hey!" a pointy-eared girl exclaimed in alarm, her long, white braids swaying as she dashed towards them. "Be careful! He's gonna pass out if you smother him like that!"

"Please, don't kill him!" a young man cried fearfully. He had a mane of brown hair, highlighted by a single streak of white, as well as a pair of rabbit ears. "If he dies, my entire species will be doomed to extinction. Heeeeeey~!"

"Noire, Nah, Yarne!" Laurent snapped in a cross voice as he stormed over to the growing pile of flailing limbs. "I must ask that you desist at once!"

"Oh, boy…" Kjelle heaved a great sigh and made to assist him, though the small smile on her face gave her true feelings away.

Chrom could only watch this play out in stunned silence. Swallowing, he turned to his fully-grown daughter with a single question on his tongue. "Lucina... What is all this...?"

The princess just sighed and gave him a tired smile. "It's a long story."

"What the hell is happening?!" Robin cried out from beneath a dog pile of his own self-proclaimed children.

* * *

After the incident at Carrion Isle, the Shepherds had wasted no time in breaking camp and retreating past the Feroxian border. They'd just finished setting up camp outside Port Ferox when Chrom and Robin called for a meeting with a select group of individuals.

And _that_ was how the genius tactician of Ylisse found himself staring down a tent full of expectant women. For the first time since his failed plan to rescue Emmeryn two years ago, Robin found himself completely at a loss. The man had always had a very good relationship with his comrades — the female half in particular, he had to admit — and he would be lying if he said he didn't find the army's women attractive. But never would he have expected something as outlandish as this to happen.

He glanced at Chrom, who was in the corner, being useless. The damn prince couldn't even look him in the eye anymore without bursting into laughter over his friend's misfortune. Robin sent him a scathing look, which did little else but send the prince into another round of hysterics. Beside him, Frederick simply gave Robin a stern glare, as if to say 'Just get it over with.'

"I'm not sure how else to explain it," the tactician said with a sigh, running a hand through his hair. "They claim to be my children from an apocalyptic future, born to the six of you gathered here. Lucina has already proven her identity through her brand, so I can safely say that her story checks out. But there is no true way to verify the others' identity…"

"Wow, Robin," Lissa snickered to herself. "I had no idea you got around so much!"

"Lissa!" he growled, his face growing red. "You're not helping."

"But, they _are _who they claim to be," Lucina finally spoke up from beside her father, placing a hand on Falchion's hilt. "I swear it upon the honor of our crown."

The tent descended into a tense silence which honestly, was only to be expected. While it was one thing to learn that in some dark future, they had all failed in their mission; learning that your future-children had somehow traveled back in time to change fate was a different matter entirely… It was absurd. Even Robin, who liked to consider himself rather open-minded, found it hard to believe. But these young women — all of whom he was close friends with — had all been told that they would (had?) mother the children of a single man.

Had Robin been in their situation, he would be outraged or at least mortified. The uneasy silence continued for several moments before it was finally broken by Sully's resigned sigh.

"Ah, well." The woman grumbled. "I can't exactly argue with the crown, now can I?" She glanced over to the armored girl standing next to her. "So, you're my kid, huh? Kjelle, was it? So, I named you after—"

"Your mother, yes." The younger girl nodded with a small smile.

"I don't wish to disrespect the exalted bloodline..." Cordelia muttered, staring at her supposed-daughter standing next to Robin. The younger girl just glared right back at her in response. "But you have to admit that this is a bit much to take in."

"Not for me!" Nowi exclaimed, throwing her arms around Nah, much to her embarrassment. "She's mine, I just know it! I always wanted a daughter to play with. She even has Robin's pretty, white hair!"

"I, too, am certain of this one's lineage," Panne said as she slowly circled her son, taking in his scent as she did. The young man in question shuddered beneath her scrutinizing stare. "He is Taguel, of which I am the last. His scent is also startlingly familiar and reminds me strongly of Robin."

"While the two of you may be amenable to such outrageous assertions," Miriel spoke up, adjusting her glasses. "I regret to inform you that _I_ am not." She turned to her self-proclaimed son. "If you would claim to be my progeny, I assume you carry with you substantial proof of such allegations?"

"Hah!" The younger mage chuckled with a nostalgic smile taking shape on his face. "As skeptical as always, Mother. And just as blunt."

"Hmph..." Tharja let out a small hum. "There _is_ a way to verify their claims. All it takes is a little blood and bit of magic..."

"So, you can prove they're Robin's kids?" Lissa asked curiously.

"I hold no doubts that they're mine," the tactician said calmly, prompting everyone to turn to him in surprise. "They all share my features, with their hair color being the most prominent. Many of them even share a handful of my mannerisms. Contrarily, I'd be surprised if they _weren't_ mine."

The future children all smiled, happy to have at least convinced one parent of their lineage. Robin shook his head and smiled bemusedly.

"What I _do_ find doubtful is the fact that you all have different mothers," he continued. "I think that's the one part of your story I just can't wrap my head around."

"I dunno, Robin," Lissa said with a grin. "You _are _quite the catch if what I've been hearing around camp is anything to go by! Right, Cordelia? You and Sumia were pretty animated in your discussions."

"L-Lissa!" the redhead squeaked, her face flushing in embarrassment as several chuckles flittered throughout the tent.

"Well, I suppose there's only one way to find out," Chrom spoke up, having finally regained enough composure to not burst into another giggle fit. "Tharja, if you would?"

"Very well." The voluptuous dark mage nodded, reaching into a small satchel she always carried with her and retrieving a ceremonial dagger as well as a small bowl. "Luckily, the ritual is simple and the necessary reagents are common. Please prick a single finger on this blade. I need only a drop of blood."

Miriel stepped forward, holding out her right index finger. Tharja gently pricked the offered digit, allowing a single drop of blood to fall into a small bowl filled with various magical reagents. She then pricked Laurent's finger and mixed his blood with his mother's as she began muttering an incantation. The concoction slowly began to coagulate, forming into a solid sphere for only a brief moment before bursting into a cloud of purple smoke.

"The result?" Miriel questioned.

"He's yours, without a doubt."

"I see..." The mage glanced at her child. Her surprise lasted for only a moment before quickly giving way to intrigue as a small glint entered her eyes. "How fascinating… To think that I would have progeny originating from such an inauspicious future… You introduced yourself as Laurent at the onset of these proceedings, did you not?"

"Veritably," Laurent said with a small smile. "It… pleases me to see you again, Mother."

"And I, you… my son." Miriel gifted him with rare smile of her own.

"Well, while this is certainly _touching _and all." Tharja interrupted in a dry tone of voice. "I'd like to know how you intend to proceed from here."

Sully nodded in agreement. "What happens now?" the cavalier questioned. "I hope you don't expect us to continue on as though nothing's changed?"

"She has a point," Cordelia spoke up. "An event such as this is quite literally life-changing. I don't know about any of you, but Robin and I were never romantically involved." She suddenly paused and turned to the man with wide eyes.

"N-Not that I'm opposed to it!" She exclaimed hastily. "You _are _very handsome and manly and… and..." The pegasus knight deflated beneath the stares being sent her way, her entire face growing red as she casted her gaze downward. "...I'm going to stop talking now."

"...Well, _other _matters aside, she does bring up a valid concern," Panne said after a while. "This may end up putting a strain on our relationships — with Robin and with each other."

"...And in turn affect the cohesion of our army," Robin murmured. The room fell into an uneasy silence that was swiftly broken by their leader.

"Now, now," Chrom said, raising both hands in a placating manner. "I understand that this may be overwhelming, but we cannot allow something like this to break us apart. War with Valm is on the horizon and if what the children's warning about the future is true, we cannot afford to be divided."

His stern expression was a stark contrast to his earlier behavior and as the others slowly relaxed, Robin couldn't help but be impressed by Chrom's charisma.

"I imagine that you would like a word with Robin, but I must ask you to wait," the blue-haired man continued. "Much has happened today and I think it would be best if we all slept on it — to let everything sink in. We'll continue this another time. You are dismissed."

"Finally!" Nowi, who'd been bouncing in her seat throughout the entire meeting suddenly cheered and grabbed her daughter by the arm. "Let's go play, Nah!"

"W-Wait, Mom!" the younger girl squeaked as she was forcibly dragged out of the tent. "Dad, help me!"

"Har har!" Sully guffawed before turning to her own child. "Well, brat. Seeing that you're my kid and you've got some fancy armor there, I assume it's safe to say that you know a thing or two about combat. Whaddya say to a few rounds against your mom?"

"Yes!" Kjelle exclaimed eagerly. "I'd love to!" She turned and bowed to the still-seated tactician. "I'll see you at supper, Father."

Robin just nodded, somewhat tiredly as the two took their leave. All around him, his children left with their respective mothers until only he, the royal family, Frederick, Morgan and Severa remained inside. Cordelia paused at the entrance to the tent, sending one last glance at her daughter, who simply turned away from her in response. Sighing to herself, the redhead took a brief glance at the tactician before exiting.

"You aren't going to go with your mother?" Robin asked curiously.

"Hmph!" Severa scoffed. "I'm not as weak-willed as the others. I don't need to follow her around like a lost puppy."

"This coming from the girl who was screaming 'Daddy' back in the forest?" Lucina demanded.

The other girl flushed red in embarrassment. "T-That hardly counts!" she huffed. "I'm his darling little girl, after all. Daddy gets special treatment."

"Hey, Severa," Morgan spoke up. "When you found me in that ruined temple, you said we'd find my mom too. But she's not here."

"That's right!" Lissa exclaimed. "You never mentioned who _your _mother is, Morgan. If it wasn't one of those six, then who is it?"

"No idea!" the girl replied cheerfully.

"...Beg pardon?" Chrom asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"That's… a bit of a story," Lucina admitted sheepishly. "You see, while we were separated, it seems Morgan developed a mild case of amnesia. She can't remember anything besides her father."

"You don't say?" The prince chuckled.

"It seems to run in the family, then," Frederick said evenly, prompting the three future-children to glance at him in confusion.

"Whaddya mean 'run in the family'?" Severa demanded.

"I too, am suffering from amnesia," Robin admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm afraid I don't have any memory of my life before Chrom and Lissa found me just outside Southtown."

"Wow!" Morgan grinned. "You too?"

"Amnesia?" Severa, on the other hand, was concerned. "Are you okay, Daddy?"

"Yes, I'm fine." The man sighed before shaking his head. "So, Morgan has no clue who her mother is, correct? But you two should remember just fine."

"That's correct." Lucina nodded affirmatively. "You just haven't met her yet."

"Great," Robin murmured, palming his face. "Well, thanks for the heads-up, I suppose."

"Well, then." Lissa snickered at him. "At least there are no more surprises. Right, Lucina?" When she didn't immediately reply, the blonde girl turned to her with wide eyes. "...No way."

"...Lucina…?" Chrom raised an eyebrow at his fidgeting daughter.

"There were others who came with us from the future," the princess admitted, throwing Robin an apologetic smile. "We just haven't found everyone yet."

"H-How many?" the tactician questioned, almost afraid of hearing the answer.

"Five others," Lucina said. "All of them are yours as well."

"And I assume they all have different mothers?" Frederick inquired. At her nod, the knight just sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose wearily.

"Wow!" Chrom chuckled, a wide grin on his face. "It seems you'll be quite busy for the foreseeable future, Robin." He turned to the rapidly paling tactician to see him teetering on his feet. "Er… Robin?"

"Twelve…" Robin whispered, his face as white as a sheet and his body lurching precariously. "Naga, help me. Twelve children… All with different mothers…"

_**Thud!**_

"Father!"

"Daddy!"

Chrom just chuckled as the world-renown Ylissean tactician fell to the ground in a heap, completely out cold. "Lissa…?"

"Yeah, yeah..." The blonde snickered. "I'll get my staff."

* * *

**A/N: As you can probably surmise from my username, this was a plot bunny I just had to write down. I am not very well versed in the Fire Emblem fandom, so if my set up resembles someone else's I apologize. It is completely coincidental.**

**Writing this felt a little odd, though. I think the Fire Emblem setting just doesn't mesh well with my writing style. I'll be trying to improve as I go, so if you made it all the way down here, then congratulations! You have more patience than I could ever have. Thanks for reading this utterly nonsensical fic.**

**Those of you who know me, I highly doubt this fic will be receiving regular updates. Hell, I'm not even sure if I'm going to be continuing this.**

**Chrom x Generic Village Maiden OTP! Robin x Harem FTW! Having trouble choosing a waifu? Go for 'em all, I say!**

**BTW, in case you didn't notice, Morgan has white hair. All of Robin's kids do. (He is default MU, by the way.)**

**I guess I'll start a poll on my profile for you to decide who Morgan's mother should be. None of the characters with children of their own will be on it (i.e. Cordelia, Tharja, Sumia etc). And NO LUCINA! I adore the pairing, but it will not work for this fic. So, basically, your choices are Say'ri, Tiki and Anna.**

**BTW, some suggestions for a new title would be appreciated since the current one is HORRID.**

**Make sure to cast your vote and thanks for reading.**

**\- Your King**


	2. Chapter 2

Robin groaned to himself as the sunlight began to stream through the flaps of his tent. Grumbling to himself, he rolled over; turning his back to the early morning sun. He'd never been much of a morning person. And with all the craziness that had been going on as of late, he deserved a few minutes of extra sleep, right?

Right.

So, settling himself in the comfort of his cot, Robin allowed himself to drift back to sleep...

_Crash! Bang! Riiiiiip._

"Argh!" the white-haired man cried out as someone stumbled into his tent and landed right on top of his slumbering form.

"D-Dad!" a vaguely familiar voice hissed. "You've gotta help me!"

"Wha…" Robin blearily blinked his eyes as he stared at the blurry figure on top of him. Squinting slightly, he could barely make out the tips of the unknown person's ears peeking out from their white hair. "Nah… Is that you?"

"What? Of course it's me. Who'd you think I was; Yarne?" the manakete demanded; a slight twinge of annoyance in her voice.

"Sorry, sorry," the man groaned; rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "But honestly. What are you doing here? Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"It's Mom!" Nah whispered frantically. "She's trying to make me play with her again."

"Mom… You mean Nowi?" Robin questioned; his brow furrowing in confusion. "But she's never up this—"

"NAH!" a loud voice suddenly shouted; causing both of them to wince at its sheer volume. "Where are you?! I don't wanna play hide 'n seek! Tag is _sooooo_ much better!"

"Eep!" The girl quickly dove underneath Robin's cot; pulling the covers down to hide her form. "Here she comes!"

Her confused father didn't even have time to react before Nowi suddenly came bounding into his tent; an enormous pout on her face. "Rooobiiin!" the green-haired girl whined. "Have you seen Nah? I can't find her anywhere!"

Robin let out an awkward cough. "Er, no. I haven't." He cleared his throat. "...That aside; what exactly are you doing, Nowi? You're never up this early."

"I was just too excited!" she said; bouncing over to his cot and plopping herself down beside him — completely ignoring any concept of personal space. "Aren't you excited to have so many kids to play with?"

"Yes, well…" The man let out another cough. "I think I'm still coming to grips with the fact." He shook his head. "And what about you, Nowi? Are you not... concerned?"

"Concerned?" the green-haired girl repeated; cocking her head at him inquisitively. "What for?"

"Everything," Robin admitted with a small sigh; rubbing the bridge of his nose. "The future the children described… It was horrific. The Shepherds; our _friends_… All dead."

"Robin?"

"Not to mention the children themselves," he continued; and it was clear he was no longer fully aware of himself. "I don't know the first thing about children; let alone being a father. Now I have seven teenagers all claiming to be mine; some of them just a few summers younger than myself. I have no idea how to behave around them. This isn't a battlefield; nor is it politics….I'm lost here."

"Robin—"

And it was true. The closest thing to a family-setting he'd ever experienced was marching with the Shepherds. And while he liked to consider them as his family, this was a different matter entirely. These… children who journeyed through time itself to reunite with their loved ones and save the world… How was he _supposed _to act?

_CRACK!_

The tactician was broken out of his musing by the sound of Nowi clapping her hands in front of his face. "Hey now!" she huffed.

"N-Nowi?"

"There's no use getting all worked up over it!" Nowi exclaimed; wagging her finger at him reproachfully. Robin probably would have been able to take her more seriously if she wasn't half his height.

"But—"

"No buts!" She pointed her finger at his face; forcing him back slightly. "You can't go fretting over everything, Robin. Those kids are just as confused as we are." Nowi sat up; her eyes shimmering with the unbridled wisdom that came with having lived for hundreds of years. "They all still remember their parents from the future and they understand that we're not the same people. But they don't expect us to be. You shouldn't either."

For a few moments, Robin could only stare at her dumbly. With the way she acted on a daily basis, it was always hard to remember that this was no little girl, but a dragon with over a thousand years of life experiences.

The manakete smiled at him cheerfully. "The best thing is to just be yourself," she said. "That's all you need to be. Robin is Robin, after all. It'd be pretty weird if you suddenly tried to be something that you're not. I like the way you are!"

The white-haired tactician simply continued to stare at her for several moments before a small smile made its way onto his face. "Thank you, Nowi," he said earnestly. "I think I needed that."

"No problem!" she exclaimed; throwing a thumbs up at him. "Now, I gotta go. I still gotta find Nah!"

"Right…" He said; somewhat awkwardly. He'd nearly forgotten about his prior visitor… The moment Nowi exited the tent, Nah crawled out from beneath the cot; a slight flush to her cheeks.

"I— Uh, sorry… about that…" she blustered out; embarrassed at having essentially eavesdropped on what she obviously thought was a heartfelt conversation between her parents.

"I'm sorry you had to sit through that," Robin said with a wry grin.

"N-No! It's fine!" Nah exclaimed; waving her arms wildly. "I… I'm glad that you're trying. I know we dropped in on you out of nowhere. So, it's unreasonable to ask any more of you..."

Seeing her ears droop slightly, Robin chuckled and pat her on the head. "I'll admit, it was a surprise," he said; rubbing gentle circles into her scalp. "But I think I'm getting used to the idea."

Nah allowed her eyes to flutter shut from his ministrations. "Y-Yeah…" she murmured; a nostalgic smile forming on her face.

"Oh, there was one more th— Nah!" Both father and daughter froze as Nowi's voice drifted over from the tent entrance. "Good job, Robin! You found her!"

"I, er…" Robin could only watch as the green-haired manakete bounced over and happily grabbed their daughter by the wrist.

"Let's go play, Nah!"

"No, wait!" the snow-haired girl cried out. She sent a pleading look his way.

Robin opened his mouth to intervene, but quickly thought better of it. If he stopped them, Nowi would most likely force _him_ to play with her instead. While in normal circumstances, he wouldn't be so opposed to it; this was hardly normal. It was still _far _too early for such strenuous activity, after all.

Silently, he turned away from them.

"Dad, you traitor!" With that final cry of betrayal, Nah was dragged out of his tent by her mother.

"I'm sorry, Nah," Robin whispered; shaking his head. "Your sacrifice will not be in vain."

Indeed. He would be taking full advantage of the peace and quiet she had afforded him. As he lay back down onto his cot, he vaguely wondered what Nowi had been talking about when she re-entered the tent.

"Eh." The man shrugged. "It's probably nothing..."

Slowly, his eyes fluttered shut as the sweet, sweet embrace of sleep wrapped around him like a warm cocoon…

_Clank!_

His eyebrow twitched, but he quickly forced himself to relax. It was nothing, just some of the others getting ready for the day. They would move on soon enough…

_Bang!_

His lips twitched. But Naga help him, if they didn't leave soon, someone would be getting Arcfire'd.

_CRASH!_

"Father?"

"Ugh..." Robin groaned as he blearily looked up, only to immediately be blinded by an intense light. "ARRRRGH!"

"Father! What's wrong?!"

"Light!" the man cried out; flailing his arms wildly. "The light!"

"Father, you're not making any sense!" the person — female, judging by their voice — exclaimed. "What light do you speak of?"

Robin brought a hand to his eyes and squinted through the gleaming light to see a hulking figure standing in the entrance to his tent. "W-Who are you?"

"Father, it's me," the behemoth said; a confused tone to her voice. "I introduced myself with the others yesterday, remember?"

Squinting past the sunlight reflecting off her armor, he could barely make out the person's features behind. "...Kjelle? Is that you?"

"Indeed." The girl let out a relieved smile. "Yesterday was not a bad dream, I'm afraid."

"You know that's not what I meant," Robin grumbled; forcing himself into an upright position.

"I was merely jesting, Father." She said with a wry grin.

"Yes, well…" The man coughed; smiling weakly. "Would you mind stepping inside? The sun is reflecting off your armor and is giving me quite a headache."

"Oh!" The girl let out an embarrassed squeak and quickly did as he asked; closing the tent flap behind her for good measure. "I'm sorry, Father."

"It's fine," Robin sighed in relief and finally removed his arm from his face. "So, what are you doing here? Was there something you needed?"

"Did Aunt Nowi not tell you?" Kjelle questioned; blinking slightly in surprise.

"Tell me what?"

"Mother asked her to retrieve you," she explained. "But since Aunt Nowi was taking so long, she asked me to get you instead. She said, and I quote, '_Tell him to drag his sorry arse over here before I do it for him_.' End quote."

"Sully did? But, wh—" Suddenly, Robin paled. "...Kjelle?"

"Yes?"

"What day is it today?"

"I believe today would be Wednesday."

"Dammit!" He cried out; throwing the covers off of him and leaping off his cot. His daughter took a step back in surprise as he began rushing about the tent, haphazardly throwing on articles of clothing.

"...Father?" Kjelle questioned; a bewildered look on her face.

"I train with Sully every Monday, Wednesday and Friday!" Robin hurriedly explained. "The last time I was late, she… she…" He couldn't even finish his sentence before a deep shudder than through his body.

"Father?" The man was broken out of his reverie by Kjelle's voice. He quickly shook his head.

"You don't want to know." Robin said as he frantically began searching through a chest carrying his personal belongings. "Where are my robes?!"

"I believe I saw Aunt Cordelia with them on the way here," his daughter mused. "There was a rather large tear in the seams from the last bout on Carrion Isle. I believe she was mending it."

"Ugh, that's right…" the tactician resisted the urge to palm his face. He'd forgotten about that. Cordelia would never allow something even as small as a torn garment pass by unchecked. So, practically the moment they'd set up camp, the red-haired pegasus knight had demanded that he relinquish it to her for mending.

"Here." Robin was once again broken out of his musings by Kjelle's voice. Turning his head, he saw her standing beside him with a set of training leathers in hand. "You kept them in the same place in the future." She explained; smiling bemusedly at his raised eyebrows.

"...I've always hated these things…" the white-haired man grumbled, but he allowed her to assist him in donning the leathers regardless.

"Oh, I know," Kjelle said with a small grin. "As does Mother. She always took an almost perverse pleasure in forcing you into them."

"A sentiment you seem to share," Robin retorted dryly.

"But of course!" She giggled. "Like mother like daughter, after all. I believe Aunt Lissa calls it '_that rubbery thing_' with your face."

"I'm glad I'm able to provide such high entertainment value," he grumbled; though it was not without good humor. "Now, if you're quite through with mocking your poor old man, I believe we have an impatient knight to attend to."

"By all means." Kjelle chuckled; allowing him to walk past her before falling into step behind him. Robin took a moment to let his eyes adjust to the change in lighting; the morning chill nearly prompting him to retreat back into his tent. Dear, Naga. And this was the Feroxian _summer?_

"How do these people do it?" he mumbled; shuddering slightly. Oh, how he wished he had his robes… Robin shook his head. Well, best to get to the training yard. A few bouts with Sully was bound to warm him up; so long as he didn't get knocked on his arse too many times.

It was still fairly early in the morning and there was plenty of time before they started serving breakfast in the mess tent. As such, the camp was only half awake; with the only people up and about being the more proactive members of the Shepherds. Chief among them...

"Ah, Robin!" Chrom called out to him from several tents down. The white-haired man turned to see the prince striding towards him; Lucina at his side. "Finally awake, eh? Engaging in some early morning father-daughter bonding?"

"Look who's talking," he grumbled good-naturedly. He nodded at the princess beside him. "Good morning to you as well, Milady."

"Good morning, Robin," the blue-haired maiden said with a small smile. "And please, call me Lucina. I am not the princess of this world. That title and honor belongs to my younger self, back in Ylisse."

"I believe your father would object to that," he quipped and Chrom rolled his eyes in response.

"Believe me, we spoke of it at length," the man said dryly. "But that's a story for another time. I take it you're heading towards the training field?"

"Today _is_ Wednesday," Robin said with a small sigh.

"Let's just hope Sully will forgive your tardiness," Chrom said with a small grin. "We were planning on heading down there ourselves. Perhaps we can help curb her wrath?"

"Unlikely," Kjelle whispered to Lucina, who withheld a grin in return.

"Well," Robin released yet another sigh. "Let's get this over with…"

* * *

Robin grunted as he once again found himself with his face in dirt. "Come on!" Sully roared at him, flicking her training sword in his direction. "I know you can do better than that!"

With a tired groan, the man forced himself onto his feet; raising his blunted sword for yet another bout. Or should he say thrashing; courtesy of Sully?

The moment they'd arrived on the training field, the white-haired man had been given a black eye from the fiery knight. _'He knows what happens when he's late!_' Had been her growled response to Chrom and Lucina's attempts at intervention. _Attempt _being the key word.

From that point onwards, it had only gone even more downhill. While Sully had always been rather rough during their training sessions, she'd been unusually violent today. And with a truly enraged Sully to contend with, Robin stood absolutely no chance.

Now, don't take this the wrong way. Robin still considered himself to be a good swordsman; _excellent_, even. However, along with Chrom, Vaike and Lon'qu, Sully was one of the Shepherds' strongest and/or most skilled fighters; surpassing even the indomitable Frederick, who Robin still had difficulties besting in one-on-one combat.

His true forte was and always would be magic. His swordsmanship was usually only a last resort should the enemy get too close. And while thus far, no enemy been able to defeat him, it was still best to keep on his toes. It was why he asked Sully to help him with his training two years ago.

"Gah!" Robin groaned out as he was once again sent face-first into the ground. The wooden sword in Sully's hand shattered into hundreds of splinters as it swept the man off his feet. Thankfully, the training leathers had taken the brunt of the impact. Despite her enraged status, Sully knew better than, and was far too skilled, to cause any serious harm to one of her comrades; so any injury to his person would be superficial at worst. Robin would still likely find himself with a new bruise later tonight, however.

"Feh…" The redhead spat on the ground before frowning at the broken stump that had once been her training sword. "I'll be right back. Try and pull yourself together. We're not done yet."

"You… You do that," Robin wheezed; still laying face-down in the dirt. As he heard her footfalls growing more distant, he let out a sigh of relief. It was only a moment of reprieve, but one he would enjoy nonetheless. Now, if only the sun would stop shining into his eyes, everything would be perfect…

"Father," a voice said softly as a shadow fell over him.

"Ah, that's perfect!" Robin crooned happily. He glanced up at his savior. "Thank you, Kjelle."

"Er, you're welcome…?" The flaxen-haired girl smiled crookedly; somewhat confused by his appreciation. Kjelle knelt down; resting on her knees. "Here…"

She held out a canteen; which the man greedily took. Popping the cap off, he nearly emptied it in a single gulp. "Ah…" he sighed contentedly. "You really are an angel, sweetheart."

"Heh, I only wish." Kjelle shook her head wryly. Her smile quickly fell into a frown, however. "...I'm sorry, Father."

"Eh?" Robin glanced up at her in surprise. "For what?"

"For Mother's behavior." The girl let out a sigh as she ran a hand through her ivory locks. "You and I both know why she's so upset. It's because of me."

"Kjelle…"

"This never would have happened if I'd just kept my distance like Lucina ordered…"

"Kjelle."

"Maybe..." She shook her head and sighed. "Maybe it would have been better if we'd never revealed ourselves."

"_Never_ say that again." Kjelle nearly jumped at the ferocity in his voice. Meeting his gaze, she found him giving her a rather heated glare.

"F-Father?"

"I never want to hear you say that again," Robin growled. "Understand?"

"But—"

"No _buts!_" The man raised a hand to silence her. He smiled for a moment before placing a hand on her head. "You're my kid, right?"

"Y-Yes…" She squeaked as he playfully ruffled her hair.

"Then that's the only reason you need," Robin said. "Listen, Kjelle. I know I may have freaked out a little at first..."

"A little?" Kjelle couldn't help but smirk. He rolled his eyes.

"Okay, a lot," he grunted. "But I can honestly say that I'm glad to have the opportunity to know you all." Robin met her gaze and smiled. "And I know that Sully's response may seem a bit harsh, but that's just the way she is. She doesn't know how to react, so she becomes defensive and lashes out. She can hardly take it out on you, so she goes for the next best thing."

"But that's hardly fair to you." Kjelle pointed out. "You had even less control over the situation than I did."

"I know," Robin chuckled. "And Sully likely knows this too. But it's the only way she can react. And she knows I can take it. We've spent the last two years doing this practically every other day. And to be honest?" He leaned in and winked at her. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Father…" The girl breathed out. Robin could feel himself swelling in fatherly pride as she stared at him in what was obviously deep admiration. How awesome was he?

"...Is it possible that you're a masochist?"

Robin nearly choked on his own saliva at her blunt accusation. "W-What? Of course not!"

"Are you certain?" Kjelle looked at him dubiously and he had to restrain himself from covering his face in mortification.

"_Yes!_" He insisted; his face growing bright red. The snow-haired girl still looked skeptical, however. "Ugh! Just… go find Lissa! Tell her I'll be visiting the medical tent shortly."

"Of course, Father," Kjelle said with a bow, but not before throwing a mischievous smirk his way.

"And don't even _think _of telling her anything!" Robin bellowed as she walked away. "You hear me!?" The girl merely laughed and made a noncommittal gesture without turning around. He thought to pursue to to make sure she wouldn't go gossiping to anyone, however…

"Well, that was cute," a familiar voice said gruffly from behind him. Paling slightly, Robin turned to see Sully standing behind him; a new training sword slung over her shoulder.

"S-Sully!" The man squeaked. "H-How much of that did you hear?"

"Enough," she growled. The redhead reached back for her sword and Robin flinched. To his surprise, however, she placed it aside and flopped to the ground beside him.

"...Sully…?"

"Listen…" The woman said lowly, though her voice was much softer than it normally was. "I know I'm not the… easiest person to get along with. And I know I turn a lot of people off with my constant fighting and harsh words."

Robin didn't dare speak. He even nearly forgot to breathe as Sully ran an aggravated hand through her hair. She obviously had very little experience in these kinds of speeches.

"But I just want you to know that I'm… grateful that you understand," she grunted; the barest hint of a smile making its way onto her face. "I think you're the first person to really _get _me, y'know? Chrom and Vaike and Stahl… They all just see me as one of the guys. They always forget that I'm still a woman, too."

She turned away and murmured under her breath. "And for the record, I think you'd make a swell dad."

"What was that?" Robin asked, leaning towards her.

"Nothing!" Sully growled out; her face gaining a slight rosy hue. She grabbed her training blade and stood once more. "Now pick up your sword! We've still got five more rounds to get through!" Robin groaned, but did as she demanded and got into a ready position.

From her position between two tents, hidden from their view, Kjelle smiled. It seemed things would be alright after all.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. You know the drill. Life gets in the way; one thing leads to another, yada yada. I won't bore you with my excuses.**

**Wow, lots of Fire Emblem harems have been popping up lately, huh? I am pleased. =)**

**As you can probably tell, not all supports are going to be canon in this fic. Mostly the childrens' supports, since it is literally impossible for all of them to be canon with Robin as the father.**

**Hell, even when it's just one of the supports, it's dubious. Prime examples being Owain and Nah. Owain's father apparently sacrificed himself to save his son (we know what happened to Robin), while Nah has no memory of her parents. This is despite Morgan being **_**younger **_**than her and still having clear memories of their father. It makes zero sense.**

**Anyway, the poll has long-since ended and the winner was Tiki. By the way, some wise-guy thought he could be smart and "vote" multiple times (try 20+) by leaving a multitude of guest reviews.**

**They have all been deleted. First of all, all votes via review were discounted entirely. I set up the poll for a reason. Mainly because of what that guy tried (and failed miserably) to pull.**

**Secondly, they were very poorly disguised. They all practically said the same thing. "Hurr durr, I think Say'ri should be the mother. Derp." At least **_**try **_**to sound like a different person.**

**Anyway, rant over. Thanks for taking the time to read this. By the way, a lot of you probably don't know this, but this fic was originally titled "Awakened Love". Horrid, I know. I changed it to the current title practically the same day I published it. Props to ****SwordofallCreation for the new title.**

* * *

**On a completely unrelated note. Do any of you play Chain Chronicle on iOS or Android? It's an interesting little tower defense/RPG/TCG I've gotten into recently. The atmosphere is similar to Fire Emblem in that it takes place in a fantastical world and you recruit random strangers to save the world.**

**If you play or are interested in trying it out, my friend ID is 150,368,335. Just remove the commas.**

**Friend space is limited, so send me a PM or review with your in-game name and party leader so I know who you are. I may end up rejecting your request otherwise. My in-game name is KING and my usual party leaders are as follows:**

**\- **_**Lilith**_** (green-haired cleric girl) on weekdays. If you have trouble with a quest, she can probably heal you through it.**

_**\- Shakti**_** (silver-haired wizard girl) on weekends. Her special ability is great for farming gold.**

_**\- Frau**_** (black-haired wizard girl) I usually use her during events if I can't obtain the featured character. She has an ability that slows down the mana wheel, allowing you to easily select the type of mana you want.**

**P.S. If you decide to try it out and it asks you to refer a friend, just enter my ID and we'll both get rewards when you reach certain milestones (level 20, 40 etc). Just keep in mind that if you do this, you still need to send me a friend request if you want me to be able to help you out.**

**If you have any questions, feel free to send me a PM.**

EDIT: I wasn't expecting so many of you to enjoy the game! I won't be able to add all of you to my friends list on my primary account, but I can add you on one of my other accounts. I'll make space if necessary. Check my profile for details!

**Anyway, I thank you for your time. Thanks for reading!**

**\- Your King**


	3. Chapter 3

If one were to search for the word "pain" in any of the land's standard dictionaries, they would find that it is defined as physical suffering or distress; mostly resulting from intense stimuli or damage. From the smallest rodent to the largest of carnivores, all animals experienced pain. It was a basic survival mechanism inherent in all the world's lifeforms.

Its purpose was to serve as an impetus. Pain was an unpleasant sensation, and thus most people and animals actively avoided actions and activities that led to experiencing it. Not even the most asinine of beings dared stick their hand into the proverbial fire twice.

"And thus…" Miriel adjusted her glasses as she looked over her partner's form; slumped over onto the desk. "I simply cannot fathom why an individual as astute as yourself would repeatedly subject himself to Sully's tuition in the martial arts."

"Hnrgh…" Was Robin's intelligible response. After his daily '_training_' with Sully, he'd stopped by the medical tent, only for Lissa to laugh him off. It appeared that Kjelle _had _been spreading rumors. Though more than a little distressed by the revelation, he supposed it was for the best that they didn't waste her energy on some bruises and sore muscles.

That didn't mean he couldn't complain about it, however. "Damn Sully..." he murmured. "Damn Lissa…"

"Buck up, Father," Kjelle said with a tiny grin on her face. "Didn't you tell me you wouldn't have it any other way?"

"Truly?" Laurent raised an eyebrow at them. "That sounds quite incongruous to me."

"Well, you see," the girl said; pausing for dramatic effect. "It turns out that Father is actually a m—"

"Man of great tolerance!" Faster than the eye could see, Robin had sprung from his chair and covered her mouth with his hand. He smiled pleasantly at the dubious looks on Laurent and Miriel's faces. "Isn't that right, _dear?_"

"Mhmgh!" Kjelle glared at her father, who glared right back in return. The two mages watched on as the father-daughter duo began arguing in hushed whispers. Laurent glanced over at the unimpressed look on his mother's face and quickly decided to intervene. Although Kjelle could usually be counted on to remain level-headed, she had always had a bit of a temper inherited from her mother. It was best to break this up before things got out of hand.

"That said…" He cleared his throat; redirecting their attention to him. "We were just about to begin our studies. Kjelle, will you be returning to your training or do you intend to join us?

"Join us?" Robin questioned; a look of surprise on his face. "Kjelle, you know magic?"

"We _are _your children, Father," she retorted with a dry smile. "We all know a bit of magic and we're all at least competent tacticians."

"Though some of us are naturally better than others," Laurent added primly; readjusting his glasses. "Noire and I are the most dedicated to our craft, while Morgan is unrivaled in her knowledge of warfare."

"I'm admittedly on the lower tier when it comes to magical prowess," Kjelle said. "But I make it a point to join in on the study sessions every now and then. Even if practical magic is out of reach for me, I still like to sharpen my knowledge on the subject; if only to better prepare myself for when we face our enemies."

"A most judicious policy," Miriel nodded her approval. "Sciolism is the truest and most precarious enemy of them all. But alas, this is not the reason for which we have convened, Robin."

"Heh, I thought something was strange about this particular session," the tactician admitted. "We usually study in the evenings."

"Indubitably," Laurent said; turning his critical gaze towards his sire. "Father, Severa enlightened me with some… disquieting information yesternight."

"Go on," Robin urged. The younger man took a moment to adjust his glasses before continuing.

"It has come to my attention that there is a significant deficit in your cognitive recollection of prior events; emanating from the day you met Chrom."

"It's no secret that I have amnesia, Laurent." Ylisse's Grandmaster said with a sigh.

"Wait, _what!?_" Kjelle's eyes snapped towards him; an alarmed look on her face. "What do you _mean _you have amnesia?!"

"I mean that I don't remember a thing before the day Chrom found me collapsed by the side of a road," Robin said; running a hand through his hair. His mysterious past had always bothered him. He'd spent the better part of the last two years trying to find his lost memories; whether by traveling or researching the surrounding lands in Ylisstol's royal library.

Whenever the Shepherds were called upon to rid the halidom of bandits or Risen, Robin was always the first to volunteer; always hoping that maybe, just maybe he would find a clue to his past.

Their leads were incredibly limited. The only clues to go off of had been the items Robin had in his possession the day they found him. That being his trusty robe, a bronze sword and a tome of thunder magic.

Unfortunately, the sword and tome were as common as could be; easily purchased at any armorer. There were no leads to be found there.

The robe, on the other hand, he found was Plegian in origin. That much was discernible to anyone who looked at it. However, apparently it had been custom made, as Tharja, their resident Plegia-expert, didn't recognize the make or design. As such, there'd been no way to track down the tailor who'd sewn it. And it wasn't as though he could go around asking every Plegian tailor or seamstress if they recognized it. Relations with Ylisse's westerly neighbor were still incredibly tense, after all. And Robin was well-known to be the Shepherds tactician as well as Chrom's advisor. They likely wouldn't take too kindly to a "conquerer" strutting about, inquiring about clothes.

However, there was one thing of note among such meager possessions. Maribelle had once pointed out that custom robes such as his could only have been commissioned by someone of significant social status. The possibility was further reinforced by his aptitude for tactics and magic. One could count on a single hand the number of commoners who had access to such knowledge. So, in all likelihood, Robin was of noble blood or at the very least had connections to Plegian nobility. It had been the reason Maribelle had begun to willingly associate with him in the first place. (She refused to allow a noble to act as "uncouth" as he did; thus beginning their biweekly etiquette lessons.)

However, this information came as yet another conundrum. If Robin was as high up on the social ladder as Maribelle assumed, why then, had no one come forward claiming relations with him after the war's end? Even with the tensions between Plegia and Ylisse, _someone _should have attempted to contact him; whether it be an ambassador to reclaim him or an assassin sent to put an end to his "treachery".

Even a note that read "You're dead to us" would have been fine in Robin's mind. At least then he would know who he was. However, as the days went on and no one stepped forward to speak to him, he began to grow disinterested with his past. It didn't matter who he was in the past. All that mattered was who he was _now_. He'd managed to put it all behind him.

Until now.

'_Validar._' Robin nearly sneered. He fought down his unpleasant emotions and returned his attention to the concerned Kjelle.

"It's fine," he assured her. "Even if I can't remember, who I was, I'm still _me._" Although she still looked mildly concerned, his words seemed to placate her for the time being. Nodding to himself, Robin turned to Laurent. "Was there anything in particular you wanted to know?"

"For now, we simply aspire to discern the cause; if at all possible," the snow-haired boy said. "The others should be arriving any moment now…"

Right on cue, someone came bursting through the tent flaps. "Tada!" the girl cried out. "Morgan is in the building! Er… tent, rather."

"S-Sorry we're late," the squeaky voice of Noire said as she cautiously entered after her more exuberant sister.

"_Hehehehe..._" A familiar voice giggled from behind him; sending chills down Robin's spine. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting, my love…"

"Th-Tharja!" the man yelped; nearly leaping away from her. "Wh-What are you doing here?"

"We requested that she participate in these proceedings," Miriel explained; adjusting her glasses.

"Where are the others?" Laurent asked his siblings; peaking over Noire's shoulder to see if anyone else was coming.

"I think Nah is hiding from Auntie Nowi," Morgan said as she casually stretched her arms. "Likewise, I think Yarne is being harassed by his mom. And last I saw Severa, she was being guilt-tripped by Aunt Cordelia into helping her fix dad's robes ."

"Which reminds me," Tharja spoke up before turning towards Kjelle, who stiffened under her gaze. "You. Girl."

"Y-Yes, Aunt Tharja?" the armored girl asked with a fearful look on her face.

Robin raised an eyebrow at the way the normally brash and confident girl was behaving in front of their resident dark mage. She was practically shaking in her boots! Subtlety, he leaned over towards the other children who (sans Morgan) had similar looks of distress on their faces. "...Is there something I should be aware of?"

"Well..." Laurent grimaced slightly. "I'll simply say that Tharja is not the most… superlative of child-sitters in the future we hail from and leave the remainder of the explanation to your imagination."

"...I'll keep that in mind," he muttered; shaking his head before returning his attention to the conversation at hand.

"Your mother is looking for you."

"...That's right…" Kjelle murmured. "Mother said she'd teach me to ride…"

"She looked and acted rather impatient." Tharja made a sour face at the memory. "I wouldn't keep her waiting if I were you."

"Yes, but…" The girl sent a worried glance at her father. Robin just smiled at her.

"I'll be fine," he said. "I've gone two years without my memories. I don't see that changing any time soon. Go on. Sully's waiting."

"...Very well," the ivory-haired girl said before turning to her siblings. "Fill me in later. I want to stay updated."

"Will do!" Morgan exclaimed; throwing a thumbs-up at her retreating form before turning her attention back to the tent's other occupants. "Er… So what are we filling her in on again?"

"Oh, for… Father's amnesia, Morgan!" Laurent sighed; rubbing the bridge of his nose. "And the fact that _you _have amnesia as well!"

"That's right!" Robin exclaimed; his eyes widening. "In all the chaos lately, I suppose that slipped my mind. You have amnesia as well, don't you, Morgan."

"Indeed," Miriel spoke up. "And what is most peculiar is the fact that she, and she alone, is amnesiac. None of your other progeny is experiencing any deficiencies in their recollections. An anomaly in the space-time continuum, or perhaps a result of her lineage? We still have not discerned the identity of her maternal progenitor."

"I highly doubt it is the former," Laurent said; striding towards one of the bookshelves and retrieving a large tome on various magical and scientific theory. "If this were to be the case, surely our siblings would be similarly affected."

"B-But the cause being her lineage makes even less sense!" Noire said weakly. "If anything, she should be the least affected out of all of us; given her heritage. You don't see Lucina having trouble remembering anything."

"Lucina?" Robin raised an eyebrow. "What does Lucina have to do with this?"

"Lucina's blood is less… potent in comparison to Morgan's," Laurent retorted. "We cannot disregard the possibility."

"Just gonna ignore my question, huh?" Robin huffed.

"I think you're all missing the point," Tharja spoke up with an impatient scowl on her face. "First and foremost, we're trying to figure out why _Robin _lost his memory and in turn why Morgan is affected."

"Naturally," Miriel agreed. "Distinguishing and isolating common variables between the two is the cardinal step."

"So?" Tharja turned her eyes towards the man in questions. Robin shifted uncomfortably beneath her intense gaze.

"So what?" the man asked calmly. "There's nothing about me that we all don't already know."

"You're lying." She said this with such certainty that Robin nearly flinched back.

"Wh—"

"I always know when you're lying." Tharja said with a somewhat smug look on her face. "You're like an open book to me, Robin."

The white-haired man could only sigh. That much was certainly true. With her eyes always upon him, there was nothing he could ever hide from Tharja. "...I think I may have learned the identity of my father," he said reluctantly. "But the source is hardly what I would call reliable."

"Truly?" Miriel raised an eyebrow at him. "Then perchance your lineage _is _a factor?"

"You know who grandfather is?" Morgan asked; perking up slightly. Robin winced slightly at the term.

"...Maybe. It's not conclusive." He said before turning to Laurent and Noire. "I take it the two of you already know who he is?"

"On the contrary..." The mage adjusted his glasses. "I doubt any of us are privy to that knowledge. You… didn't particularly enjoy speaking of your past prior to joining the Shepherds. I myself only know the name of our paternal grandmother."

"Your grandmother?" Robin parroted; his eyes widening slightly.

"H-Her name was Morgana," Noire spoke up quietly. "Morgan was named after her."

"Morgana?" Tharja repeated sharply.

"Y-Yes!" The girl squeaked fearfully as her mother cast her gaze upon her. "B-B-But that's all I know!"

"Does the name mean something to you?" Robin asked; turning towards her curiously.

"Yes… Morgana… or I suppose it would be _La_ _Princesa_ Morgana."

"_Princesa_?" the tactician repeated; raising an eyebrow at the rather lofty title.

"Yes," Tharja said. "All the noble houses of Plegia have connections to the throne; regardless of how distant their relation to the main branch of the royal family."

"W-Wait…" Noire squeaked. "But, doesn't that technically makes us…?"

"Princes and Princesses!" Morgan exclaimed; pumping her fist into the air. "Awesome!"

"Let's not get carried away, now," Robin said with a small sigh. He nodded at Tharja to continue.

The woman returned the gesture before striding towards one of the many desks situated throughout the tent. Upon it was a large atlas depicting the many nations of the world. Flipping towards a particular page, she pointed out a small region along the eastern coast of Plegia.

"This is the province her house ruled over," Tharja continued. "Her official title was _La Princesa Morgana, Duquesa de Valencia_."

"Ah, Lady Morgan, Duchess of Valencia," Miriel translated as they crowded around the map. "I recall investigating this province when seeking clues to Robin's muddled history. The region is modest in terms of area, but illustrious for its bountiful orange groves and the production of silk. It is a wealthy city-state that is mostly autonomous, but ultimately falls under the sovereignty of Plegia's Obsidian Throne."

"I've never been there myself, but it's a popular place to visit; especially in the summer," Tharja added quietly upon seeing the briefest look of longing flash across Robin's face. "The majority of Plegia is dry and arid, but the mountains surrounding Valencia trap moisture from the Ylissean Gulf; giving the province a subtropical climate. For its fair weather and fertile coastline, it's often called the Jewel of Plegia."

It was very fitting, in the sorceress's mind, for the most beautiful person she knew to hail from one of the most beautiful places the world had to offer.

"Then this…" Robin muttered; gently running his finger against the tiny region. This tiny, sea-side region was where he came from. Where he'd been born and raised. "But... if I'm the son of a Duchess, why did they never seek me out?"

"That's… where things go south," Tharja said with a small grimace. "About two decades ago, Lady Morgana married a noble from another house. A Grimleal named—"

"Validar," the man whispered; sending the tent's occupants into an uncomfortable silence.

"...Surely you jest?" Miriel spoke up after a while; an unsettled look on her face. "But, is he not…?"

"The current king of Plegia," Robin said; grimacing.

"That makes us _double _royalty!" Morgan exclaimed triumphantly. Noire smiled weakly while Laurent simply shook his head in amusement at her exuberance.

But far from being happy with this discovery, Robin could only feel a sense of unease. Validar had always made him uneasy, ever since he'd first met him in Ylisstol. And this brought up yet another question. How could the he still be alive? Robin had pierced the man's heart himself back in the Ylissean capital and yet Validar seemed in perfect health when they met several days ago.

"I wasn't even aware the two had a child. Your birth was never announced." Tharja continued quietly. "Then, Lady Morgana disappeared nearly a decade ago and Validar took the title as Duke of Valencia. It's unknown what became of her."

The tent once again descended into uncomfortable silence and Robin felt his mood fall even further.

"Well, I suppose it is a start," Miriel said before clearing her throat. "At least now, one conundrum has been elucidated. Though it has sprung forth even more questions, I am certain that, given time, we will discern the truth behind your missing memories."

"At this point. I'm not sure I _want _to know," Robin murmured to himself before shaking his head and buckling down. He had a feeling it would be a long while before they left this tent.

* * *

"So, something on your mind?" Chrom asked his tactician as he saw the man slumped over the table in the mess tent.

"A lot of things are on my mind, Chrom," Robin said with a rueful chuckle.

"Is it the '_children from the future_'-thing or the '_I'm the long-lost prince of an enemy nation_'-thing?" the blue-haired man prodded with a small smirk. "Or perhaps both?"

The tactician could only groan; causing Chrom to burst out laughing. "You heard about that?"

"News spreads fast in this camp," The Ylissean prince said with a wide grin. "Especially when Morgan runs around trying to impose her newly-acquired title of Princess on everyone."

"Is she seriously doing that?" Robin asked; mortified. "Gods. I'll have to speak with her about that."

"You'll have more than just Morgan to deal with, I'm afraid." Chrom was clearly enjoying watching his friend squirm. "From what I hear, Severa was even worse once she heard the news. She hasn't stopped bragging to Lucina about it all day."

He scrunched up his face and continued in a high-pitched voice. "I always told you my daddy was just was good as yours; better even!"

By Naga, he even had Severa's haughty expression down pat!

"Gods…" The white-haired man murmured; pulling his hood over his rapidly reddening ears. "This day can't get much worse…"

Chrom merely chuckled and opened his mouth to tease the man further. However…

"D-DAD!" a voice shrieked; prompting the entire tent to turn towards the source to see a massive, furry creature come tumbling inside. Immediately, the creature collapsed in front of Robin and began to shrink in size until Yarne sat before him; looking to be on the verge of tears.

"Y-Yarne?" Robin questioned.

"Morgan tied my ears into a knot again!" the young man whimpered; gesturing towards the extremities in question.

"No, I didn't!" The familiar voice of his youngest child shouted from outside. "You can't prove that!"

"Yes, I can!" The Taguel cried out. "Laurent was there! He can back me up!"

"He had his nose in a spellbook," Morgan retorted as she poked her head in. "He didn't even notice we were there!"

"W-Well, Noire was there, too!"

"Auntie Tharja hexed her. She was too busy sneezing to _see _anything!"

"T-Then, Severa…"

"You really think _Severa _is going to back you up?"

The blue-haired prince simply chuckled at the scene before turning to the man beside him. "Quite the family you've got there, Robin."

"Shut up, Chrom."

* * *

**A/N: Whew. That took a little longer than I thought it would. Sorry if there was too much exposition in this chapter. I kinda went off on a tangent there. By the way, I hate writing Miriel and Laurent's dialogue. You need a damn thesaurus just write basic lines and you have to ask yourself if the word/phrase in question is "pretentious enough" or "too pretentious". You have to find a middle-ground and it sucks. It really sucks.**

**Anyway, as you can probably tell, I based the geography and nomenclature of Plegia off of real-world Spain and even borrowed the name of one of its most famous cities, Valencia. I just recently bought Age of Empires II HD (It was only $4 on Steam!) and I'm a little obsessed with the Spanish campaign, El Cid. It was my favorite campaign in the original and it remains so today.**

**If things seem to be going a little slow, I'm sorry but this isn't an action oriented story. There's already plenty of Fire Emblem authors that can write war scenes and epic dramas far better than I can. **

**So, rather than a single, arching story, you should think of this more as a series of related snippets (though not exactly snippets per say). Things will of course happen in chronological order, but this is not an epic story. **

**It's not "**_The (Cruel) Mother's Gift and other Tales Through Time_**" and it's definitely not "**_Fire Emblem Awakening - Invisible Ties_**" but something in-between, I suppose you could say. I don't claim to be on the same level as **_**metallover **_**or **_**Dame Namor**_**, but I hope this will still interest you. I apologize if you hoped otherwise.**

**Either way, I thank you for taking the time to read this and hope you have an awesome day.**

**Sincerely,**

**Your King**


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